Golf has been a popular sport since the 15th century. In 1457, it was banned by the king of Scotland because he thought it was keeping his soldiers from practicing archery for battles.

By the 1700s, there were social golf clubs for men. Women were not allowed on most golf courses until the 1900s.

Clubs were first made of wood, then had iron, then steel shafts. Balls were made of wood, then feathers. Now golf balls have cores made of balata or surlyn, the sap of tropical trees.

Throughout the past 300 years, artists have pictured golfers. Golfing porcelain figures, metal whiskey flasks, bronze ashtrays and enameled match holders can be found. Figurines, boxes and bottles made of porcelain were designed to make fun of golfers. Any decorative item that pictures golf sells well.

Collectors ask

QUESTION: A pressed-wood door in my 1902 house in Wisconsin is exactly like one on display at the Smith Museum at Navy Pier in Chicago. Both doors have the same frosted-glass window, too. The window is 29 inches high by 19 inches wide and is decorated with an image of a woman feeding a horse. An ornate oval border surrounds the image. Can you tell me anything?

ANSWER: Pressed-wood doors with oval door lights (windows) were mass-produced around the turn of the 20th century. The design was applied to the glass by a process called “acid etching.” A special wax coating was applied to the glass using a stencil. Then hydrofluoric acid was applied to the surface of the glass to create the stenciled image. Generally, doors like yours sell for $100 to $200 today.

Nearly 34 years ago I picked up a lithographed tin toy that still works. It's a 2-foot-long “Lincoln Tunnel” with two lanes of cars that move when you wind up the toy. Can you tell me who made it and what it's worth?

Your toy Lincoln Tunnel was made about 1935 by Unique Art Manufacturing Co. of Newark, N.J. The company produced its first tin windup toys, including a Charlie Chaplin toy, in 1916. The Lincoln Tunnel, in mint condition, sells today for about $400.

My brother was given a group of silver tags on chains. Each has a name. Some, like Brandy, Bordeaux, Port, Sherry and Madeira, make sense. But other labels say Cowslip, Lovage and Spruce. How were they used?

Your silver tags were hung on bottles of wine or decanters to identify the contents. They were called bottle labels or bottle tickets in 19th-century England. The silver labels are usually hallmarked. Cowslip is a wine, Lovage is a cordial that was considered a cure for sore throats, and Spruce was a type of beer made from spruce-tree branches. Bottle tickets were popular collectibles in the early 1900s, but interest has waned.

How can I tell if an old black-and-white autographed photograph is an original or a copy? My photo pictures Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig standing and leaning on their bats. Ruth is wearing a black uniform that reads “Bustin' Babe's,” and Gehrig is wearing a white one that reads “Larrupin Lou's.” Each player has signed “Yours Truly” and his name twice.

Your photo is a famous one copied (with the signatures) and handed out all over the country during a 1927 off-season cross-country baseball tour that featured the two biggest stars of the day. The photo has been copied countless additional times over the years, and it comes in two versions – one with one signature for each player and one with two. Your photo is not an original print. And it is very likely that the signatures are facsimiles. If you think any one of the autographs might be real, take the photo to a sports-collectibles expert.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Ralph and Terry Kovel are antique experts who have written more than 60 books. The Kovels welcome letters and answer as many as possible through the column. By sending a letter, you give full permission for its use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names and addresses will be kept confidential. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. The Kovels cannot guarantee return of any photograph. Write to Kovels, King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.